“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality…” 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3.

These first three words, “Finally then, brethren…” show a characteristic that is rarely seen in mankind. The apostle greets this church of Gentiles and Jews as equals.

These men could have thought of themselves as intellectually superior, or as Jews to Gentiles, genetically superior, or as enlightened Christians, superior in their relation to God, much like the Pharisees were.

But Paul, Silas and Timothy realized that they were no different from the Thessalonians; they were all sinners saved by the grace of God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

“…just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’” Galatians 3:6; quoted from Genesis 15:6.

When all of the saints (those with the faith of Abraham and those in Christ), stand together in heaven, they will realize that it was nothing but the shed blood of Christ that brought them safely there.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile], there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:28-29.

The current politically correct cabal is trying to fragment the world into racial, political, and societal factions. Christians need to reject this sort of thinking and remember that in God’s eyes all of mankind is equal racially and equally dead in sin and in need of Christ.

“…that you should abound more and more” 1 Thessalonians 4:1.

I particularly like the way the New American Standard Bible translates this phrase. Here is how they put it, “…that you may excel still more.”

It almost sounds like a proud coach or teacher telling their student, “You are doing wonderfully, but I know you can excel still more! Keep it up, keep it up!” The same words are used in the last phrase in verse 10 of this chapter.

Paul then makes it very plain that what he says next is for them to please God in their actions, and that the commandments he gave them were from the Lord Jesus and that it is the will of God for the Thessalonians (and all Christians) to be sanctified, or set apart.

Sexual immorality in the heathen societies in Paul’s day was epidemic and unrestrained, just as it is in America today. As a result, anyone exhibiting restraint would either be attacked or ridiculed; they would certainly stand out.

The word sexual immorality is translated fornication in the King James Bible and is from the Greek word porneia, a word that has a much broader meaning than just fornication.

Unfortunately the word porneia covers just about everything the twenty-first century mind is preoccupied with: adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, intercourse with animals, prostitution, whoredom, licentiousness, and habitual immorality.

According to the dictionary licentious means: 1. sexually unrestrained; lewd. 2. Unrestrained by law or morality; lawless; immoral. 3. Going beyond customary or proper bounds or limits.

This would encompass, sexual battery (groping), the so-called sexting (including sending pornographic photos of oneself or others), flashing, and obscene phone calls, these are all unrestrained acts which go beyond customary bounds or limits.

While pedophilia, which is not mentioned is the worst of them because it is the murder of the innocent souls of children; all child molesting is rape whether it is the first time or the fiftieth.

Pedophilia is implied, because incest often is against children, and the type of incest would also fall under the categories of adultery, fornication, or homosexuality, and so on; if it were not an incestuous act, it would still fall under one or more of the above categories.

This sin and criminal act is responsible for a great deal of the anger and sexual perversion which fills the world today. This country is on its way to legitimizing the evil of pedophilia right now. In fact it is legal in the state of California.

While it is difficult to say that it is a bad thing to those who delight in porneia, there is a dark side which the fantasy mind does not consider.

Venereal disease is the most prevalent and worst of consequences of sexual immorality. While venereal disease is shunned by the politically correct crowd because STD, sexually transmitted disease, sounds much less ominous, the end result is the same no matter how you describe it.

Syphilis killed the gangster Al Capone, and has been found to have been epidemic in Europe over the centuries; it can cause madness, and death, though easily treated in its early stages. Over half of the syphilis cases are the result of male to male sex.

Gonorrhea, the report of infections with this disease has gone down and while treatable, there are reports of a super bug that resists treatment.

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported of these diseases, is easy to cure, but if not caught in time it can impair a woman’s ability to give birth.

Genital herpes infects one in six persons between the ages of 14 and 49 years. Herpes is more common in women because they can contract the disease more easily.

Herpes is for life but it can be managed both as to the outbreaks and as to its spread to anyone having sex with the infected person. The outbreaks seem, over time, to become fewer and fewer; nevertheless, it is a painful and virulent disease.

AIDS, is considered to be the result of an HIV infection, is most prevalent in homosexuals, but can infect heterosexual women, as seen in Africa where it is pandemic.

Aids, is a death sentence and insanity can be a first symptom. In California you can knowingly transmit HIV to someone or donate blood. This used to be a felony but has been downgraded to a misdemeanor.

All of this filth can be transmitted to a child by a pedophile and is particularly difficult to detect in women unless seen by a doctor. Women can lose their ability to have children from many of these diseases, some of which can also be transmitted to a baby before birth.

Pregnancy out of wedlock is a constant peril, forcing some young folks to get married, “as the right thing to do”, yet soon there is infidelity and divorce, victimizing both the child and a spouse.

An adulterous pregnancy can result in at least two broken hearts, divorce, or if no one finds out, guilt over a child raised by the spouse who is not the father, regardless, anger, suspicion, and bitterness will be in the outcome.

While abortion is not a disease, there is the possibility that the increase in breast cancer can be attributed to the hormone dump that is a result of an abortion.

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is also likely to come upon women after an abortion, just as it does with soldiers who have been traumatized by war.

We cannot predict the disaster that is coming now that teenage children can buy an abortive over the counter, without parental approval or a prescription.

Adults are barely responsible when they have sex, children have not a clue.

Once again, greed, and liberal stupid-think has increased the velocity of this nation’s descent into chaos. If there is just one rule to be held to concerning sexual immorality, it is this, sex is not for children, and that means unmarried teenagers too. Any responsible adult should have figured this out by now.

Adultery has its own perils, both men and women have been killed when they were caught in the act, and I have heard of at least one person who was castrated, a big price to pay.

Even if there are no immediate results, the man sinned against will never forget.

“Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband’s fury; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.” Proverbs 6:32-35.

There was a movie a while back portraying a young man who was having an adulterous relationship with a rich man’s wife. When the husband found out, his revenge was by subterfuge and manipulation, to entirely wipe out this young man’s considerable wealth, took away his job and destroyed his reputation.

Rather than realizing that he had been a fool the young man took to avenge his loss, which, of course he accomplished by ruining the rich man and taking his wife because modern morals have no concept of right and wrong and the movies reflect that.

Movies are not real life; unfortunately many folks are molded by the things they see in them.

My apologies to those who expected something more edifying than these lurid past few paragraphs, but everyone needs to understand that God has given these rules for life, not because He sits around thinking, “What can I do to take the joy out of these people’s lives?”

God’s commandments are established for the purpose of giving those who will heed them a full and healthy life.

Everyone looks at the line, “…you should abstain from sexual immorality” as though it was written for some immoral person, someone else.

“I am single, I need sex. When I marry I will not do it anymore”, “My husband/wife treats me like dirt. I have found someone else who is my soul mate”, “He is leaving his wife anyway, and when he does he will marry me, so it is not the same as adultery.”

“I think I will send these nude photos of myself to my boyfriend’s phone. I know he will not show them to anyone else.”

And of course, there is the myth that oral sex is not sex, even though the name says it all.

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” Proverbs 21:2.

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7.

The words, “…you should abstain from sexual immorality” apply to every one of us without exception.

Sexual Immorality, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 9-11-13, updated on 1-8-21.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.